Classical Music

What's not to like? The best thing about Malcolm Arnold's film music is that, like all great composers who work in this medium, it serves its fundamental purpose while at the same time sounding like Malcolm Arnold. Intelligent choice of projects doubtless has something to do with it; sheer talent accounts for the rest. This second volume in Chandos' series of selections reconstructed from the original film soundtracks contains the overture to The Roots of Heaven and a suite from David Copperfield, both of which can be enjoyed complete on a recent Marco Polo release (see reviews). Two other works, the "Symphonic Study" Machines and the Comedy Suite from The Belles of St. Trinians, have been recorded previously by Classico, though these current versions offer superior playing and sound. The other works are, by and large, premieres, and the delightful Fantasy on Christmas Carols from "The Holly and The Ivy" and the suites from Trapeze and No Love for Johnnie make particularly auspicious debuts. Brilliant performances, great sonics, and terrific music combine in an irresistible package. --David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com

Classical Music

Recorded in: New Broadcasting House, Manchester 12 & 13 April 2000 Producer(s) Brian Pidgeon (Executive) Mike George (Recording) Sound Engineer(s) Stephen Rinker

Classical Music

Recorded in: Danish Radio Concert Hall, Copenhagen 21-22 February 1997, 28-30 April 1997 and 1 May 1997 Producer(s) Brian Couzens Claus Due Sound Engineer(s) Lars S. Christensen Jørn Jacobsen

Classical Music

REVIEWS:
International Record Review (3/00, p.46) - "...This disc is most welcome. Well crafted and engaging, the works speak the lingua franca that Haydn and Mozart developed into something more personal....The performances are splendid: plenty of zest and energy..."

Recorded in: Forde Abbey, Somerset 11-13 May 1999 Producer(s) Gary Cole Sound Engineer(s) Gary Cole

Recorded in: All Saints' Church, East Finchley, London 28-30 October 1998 Producer(s) Nicholas Anderson Sound Engineer(s) Jonathan Cooper Richard Smoker (Assistant)

Albinoni's Op. 5 set of concertos provides fine examples of the composer's concise, lyrical style--all of it more musically interesting than the ubiquitous Adagio in G. The set also is notable for the rare feature of two separate viola parts, resulting in a configuration of Violin I, Violin II, Viola I, Viola II, and basso continuo. While the music is mostly in the standard mold of the Baroque string concerto, some of the pieces feature rather extended solo passages. Simon Standage displays his usual high musical standards in the Concerto No. 2, and his playing is especially beautiful in the solo lines of the lovely Adagio of the Concerto No. 5. There is even a cello solo turn in the very pretty Adagio of No. 11.

Collegium Musicum 90 remains one of the world's top period bands. Passage-work in the violins moves cleanly and without weight; chord changes are never over-stressed in the continuo, and overall ensemble balance is excellent. Standage gets his group to produce some fine dynamic shadings, and Chandos' engineering is near-perfect. Sure, there are some occasional rough spots, like the start of the Presto tutti statement in the second movement of Concerto No. 3, but the energy of the performance more than makes up for that. Individual players within the sections don't always agree on intonation, but it doesn't take much away from the overall enjoyment of this disc. Warmly recommended.
--David Preiser, ClassicsToday.com

It is amazing to think that Sir Richard Rodney Bennett, knighted in 1998 for his services to music has written so much music: orchestral works, quartets, concertos, symphonies, operas, ballets, songs, madrigals, jazz pieces and much more - all totalling over 600 items! He has scored over 50 films (including some documentaries in the earlier part of his career). This album comprises a fair cross-section.

Usually we only hear Bennett's celebrated waltz from Murder on the Orient Express so the eleven-minute suite from the 1974 Academy Award nominated score is most welcome. Gamba, aided by Chandos's superbly dynamic and detailed sound, gives a thrilling reading of this glittering, sophisticated music for the smart set travelling on a mission to kill, on Europe's premier train. The music reflects the styles of that hedonistic era between the two world wars: waltzes, tangos and music played in the salon style. There is, as to be expected, an element of murky mystery and swift violence; but there is appealing elegiac material too. But overall, there is the glamour and urgency of the great powerful train itself.

From international sophistication, the prograame turns to a smaller world of rural romantic tragedy and to John Schlesinger's 1967 film of Thomas Hardy's Far From the Madding Crowd starring Julie Christie, Peter Finch, Alan Bates and Terence Stamp. Although the film had mixed reviews, Bennett's score was Oscar-nominated. Bennett wrote some beguiling pastoral themes, notably the poignant Bathsheba love theme. Opposed to this delicacy, is some very astringent, harsh, dissonant folk-like material that underlies the cruel reality of rural life like the loss of the shepherd's (Bates) flock of sheep (they throw themselves over the edge of a cliff) leaving him penniless and unable to pursue his love, Bathsheba. There is also bravado music for the proud, womanising soldier (Stamp), counterbalanced with elegiac material and music that, in its sense of chill isolation, recalls Holst's Egdon Heath.

Bennett has arranged his music for the 1972 film Lady Caroline Lamb as an elegy for orchestra and that Cinderella of the orchestra, the viola. His music for this film, which was about Lady Caroline Lamb's disastrous obsessive love for the poet Lord Byron, is distinguished by a very appealing tender romantic melody that is redolent of the Lady's yearning. The work is presented in two movements. Before the love theme is stated in the first of these, there is headlong skittish, neurotic music portraying the rash, foolish woman. Afterwards comes some comically ironical military music of some pomposity which includes (Lady Lamb's?) sighs before the mood darkens - perhaps signifying Lady Lamb's encroaching madness. The second movement reprises the love music, which becomes the theme for a set of variations: some dreamily nocturnal, some passionate, some troubled. Philip Dukes is a sensitive and refined soloist.

Cynthia Miller adds an ethereal touch, playing her ondes martenot for Bennett's Enchanted April score. This 1991 Merchant Ivory production dealt with the lives and loves of a handful of English ladies spending an idyllic month in an Italian villa. Accordingly, Bennett responded with a mellow nostalgic score, in which the ondes martenot transports the characters, and us, away from the ordinary, everyday world - to somewhere that is extraordinary and enchanted. His music is very delicate, atmospheric and impressionistic; and very reminiscent of both Debussy and Ravel (Ravel in Chinoiserie mode). At one point this delicate fantasy is grounded by the strains of Elgar's Chanson de matin played on a cor anglais but the peaceful idyllic mood is soon reinstated. A lovely work that perhaps is too fragile for its 19-minute length.

The concert is completed by two shorter works: the Nicole's haunting theme from the 1985 TV production, Tender is the Night, although I would argue that this is not its premiere recording for I remember hearing it the soundtrack recording I purchased at that time. I would also argue that Nicole was rehabilitated by the man she married and it was the strain of that work which caused his destruction! The concluding item is the touching and plaintive love theme for Four Weddings and a Funeral that tended to be overshadowed by more familiar pop source music.

Gamba leads the BBC Philharmonic in committed, romantic performances. A delightful album and strongly recommended.

-- Ian Lace, MusicWeb International

Recorded in: Wessex Hall, Poole Arts Centre Recorded in: Winter Gardens, Bournemouth Recorded 1992 -1994 Producer(s) Brian Couzens Sound Engineer(s) Ralph Couzens Richard Smoker (Assistant: Piano Concerto; Praeludium) Ben Connellan (Assistant: Fantasia on a Theme of Handel) Richard Lee (Assistant: other works)

Recorded in: St Jude on the Hill, Hampstead, London 13-15 February 1995 Producer(s) Nicholas Anderson Sound Engineer(s) Ben Connellan Annabel Weeden (Assistant)

Classical Music